


It's the Love Someone Gives You in an Unconditional Way

by DanceInTheKitchen



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: (can you tell how much I love Wanda), Canonical Character Death, Fluff, Gen, May:love is hard bro, Wanda: no it's not lol, and awesome, and wanda is a literal goddess, basically may parker trying to understand love, basically:, not your stereotypical look into may and peter's relationship, that's it that's the fic, who is wise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26527807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanceInTheKitchen/pseuds/DanceInTheKitchen
Summary: May doesn’t think of herself as a mother. She’s Peter’s aunt. That’s it. Ben feels the same way.They’re not sure what Peter thinks.But it’s perfect the way it is.(Well, almost perfect. They’re still missing two people.)Or, May Parker's struggle with love and labels.
Relationships: Ben Parker/May Parker (Spider-Man), Mary Parker/Richard Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	It's the Love Someone Gives You in an Unconditional Way

**Author's Note:**

> So this is something I've wanted to write for a while :) Also title is inspired by Zendaya's song Neverland.
> 
> The relationship between Peter and his Aunt is just so cute and precious that I wanted to write about it.
> 
> Please leave a comment if I missed a tag or have grammer errors or with any thoughts u had about the fic!
> 
> Enjoy <3

Maybelle Reilly never really wanted kids.

She grew up as an only child to a drunk father who was almost never home. Her mother wasn’t around much, too busy working or partying. With their shining example of a failed marriage and failed family, May decided she didn’t want one of her own.

Growing up, she went to a terrible public school with a worn backpack she found at goodwill. Money was always tight at her home.

Maybelle graduated high school top of her class and attended a public university on a full ride scholarship. She decided she would be a nurse. Throughout high school she had been asked out several times, but never wanted to date. She didn’t want to be attached to anyone, anyway.

During her first year at college, she cut her hair short, shortened her name to May, and met her best friend Mary Fitzpatrick. She met some cute boys that she dated for fun. She wasn’t ever really invested in her flings. She was too busy with studying. And although she could see herself marrying in the future, she wasn’t in any rush to marry, and she didn’t want to start a family of her own.

Her second year at college found her attending her mother’s funeral. Then her father’s. May didn’t have anyone left, she was an only child, just like both of her parents. She eventually got a job as a State Certified Nursing Assistant. With her wages, she was able to afford an apartment that she shared with Mary.

May graduated with a degree in nursing, Mary graduated with a degree in Biochemistry.

Both of them ended up deciding to move to Queens, New York. They remained roommates for the next few years. May worked long hours as an emergency room nurse, Mary worked more manageable hours as a CIA agent.

One day, Mary came home saying she had met someone on a mission. Richard Parker was a charmer, through and through. May was happy for her roommate and best friend. But when she saw their budding relationship, their love for each other even when they fought, she longed for something like that.

All her life, May had only known failed relationships. Seeing one that  _ worked _ . Well, it made her wonder.

She met Ben Parker at the engagement party.

May was to be Mary’s maid of honor, Ben was to be Richard’s best man. When Richard introduced them, he had a twinkle in his eyes, as if he was privy to a joke neither understood.

* * *

At first May promised herself that Ben was a fling. He wasn’t supposed to last.

But the longer they stayed together, the harder it was for May to pretend she wasn’t attached.

So May did what she does when she needs to end relationships. She took Ben on a date to a nearby lake, it was the place where she took dates she was going to dump. She had a whole speech prepared and was ready to call in reinforcements (Mary) if things got out of hand.

But then Ben puts his arm around her, and she- she can’t. She doesn’t want it to end. The words are swallowed down and never spoken.

* * *

By the time Mary Fitzpatrick becomes Mary Parker, May knows Ben is the one.

She can clearly remember the moment she knew he was the one.

May had told Ben about her decision to never have children. That she didn’t want to be like her parents, a cold, unloving couple.

He just looked her in the eyes, without judgement, and said, 'Honey, we won’t make our parent’s mistakes'. He was the first person she dated who didn’t want children of his own either.

Two years after they met for the first time, she asks Ben to marry her.

* * *

Things don’t change much. They have an apartment together in Queens. Richard and Mary live close to them. They go out on double dates when their schedules align.

Both May and Ben agree they never want kids. It’s just something they don’t think is in the cards for them. May is busy with her job and Ben is busy with his police work. They both agree that with May’s long shifts and Ben’s demanding job they won’t be able to give a child the time and love that they deserve.

Then Mary gets pregnant.

Richard and Mary are ecstatic, doting on their unborn child. May knows they are going to be amazing parents.

May and Ben are the first two people (other than the new parents) to hold baby Peter when he’s born.

* * *

Peter is an adorable little bundle of energy.

May and Ben dote on their precious nephew. They buy him toys and cute outfits. They offer to babysit him as often as they can.

They coo over every little thing Peter says and does.

Baby Peter is the perfect addition to their lives. May and Ben don’t want children, but having a nephew to dote on is perfect. And Mary is the best mother, Richard the best father.

Their family becomes five people large. It’s more than May could have ever imagined.

* * *

Their family is torn apart when Mary and Richard are taken from them.

There is no need for words, there is no hesitation from May and Richard. They take Peter in without a second thought. They never wanted children, but they made an unspoken promise when they accepted Peter into their family.

They would care for Peter. May takes less shifts at the hospital, Ben quits the force to go into business and gets a 9-5 job. They make time for Peter.

They won’t make their parent’s mistakes. Peter will never grow up wondering what love is.

* * *

May doesn’t think of herself as a mother. She’s Peter’s aunt. That’s it.  Ben feels the same way.

They’re not sure what Peter thinks.

But it’s perfect the way it is. 

(Well, almost perfect. They’re still missing two people.)

* * *

There are days where May wants nothing more than to call Mary and ask for help. Those are the days when Peter is difficult, or gets into a fight at school, or needs to be disciplined. Those days always end the same, her crying in the early morning as Ben holds her in their bed.

The ache Mary and Richard left behind never leaves. The pain waxes and wanes, but it is a steady constant.

* * *

When Ben dies a piece of her heart dies with him.

It hurts in a way that is so similar to Mary and Richard’s death. She can feel herself falling apart. May knows that had it just been her, Ben, Mary and Richard, she would have given up.

But it wasn’t just the four of them.

Peter’s still here.

She takes full custody of Peter. He may not be blood, but he’s all she has now.

The two of them move to a smaller apartment, they take their pain with them. Packed away in the little brown cardboard boxes with pictures and reminders. Those boxes are stored in a closet, they won’t be opened for a while.

(Yes, Mary is aware of the irony. Her ideal future never included a husband, or children. Now here she is, her best friends are dead, her husband is dead. She has no children. And she just feels broken.)

(She may not have her best friends, her husband, or children of her own.)

(But she has Peter.)

(And that’s more than enough for now.)

* * *

Years pass.

May raises Peter. They go through life together, having each other’s backs no matter what.

Peter becomes a hero. He saves people as Spiderman.

Even though she’s worried, she’s so, so proud.

(She thinks, no, she  _ knows _ Mary, Richard and Ben are proud of him too.)

Somewhere along the way she stops thinking of herself as her mother’s daughter ‘Maybelle’, or Mary’s best friend ‘May’, or Ben’s wife ‘Honey’. She starts to think of herself as Peter’s ‘Aunt May’.

Because that’s who she is.

She’s never wanted kids. And she’s never had any.

Peter’s not her son. She doesn’t think of him as her child.

He’s her nephew, and she is his aunt. That is all they are.

She doesn’t know why it bothers her. People always comment that she must be like a mother to Peter. But… she doesn’t feel that way. 

Don’t get her wrong, she loves Peter with all of her heart! But, she just doesn’t see him as her son. She doesn’t understand it, but she lets it go. May’s not sure there is an answer anyway.

* * *

Surprisingly, there is an answer.

But it doesn’t come for a while. Peter meets Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. He becomes close with them, and tells May the embarrassing stories of accidentally calling them ‘mom’ and ‘dad’. May just laughs, it is pretty funny after all to see Tony Stark, the playboy genius without a heart, being called dad. She doesn’t think anything of it until she visits them. When Peter is talking to Pepper he calls her mom, and Pepper glances quickly at May, as if to see if May is offended or upset.

May’s not sure what to think. Should she be offended or upset? She was the one to raise Peter, so logically he should be accidentally calling  _ her _ mom, not Pepper Potts.

But it doesn’t seem right.

May lets it go for now, she’s not sure what she wants the answer to be.

Later when May meets the rest of the Avengers, she is drawn, inexplicably, to Wanda.

Wanda, The Scarlet Witch, is sitting on a chair in the kitchen when May joins her. They sit together in comfortable silence as they watch the other Avengers hanging out in the common room of the Tower.

“Mrs.Parker?” Wanda asks, looking contemplative.

“Call me May” May says with a smile.

“Okay”, Wanda matches her smile, “May, I was wondering, how are you related to Peter?”

“Oh, well I am his Aunt. We’re not actually biologically related, I married his father’s brother.” May paused, then continued, “When his parents died, Ben, my late husband, and I took Peter in. When Ben died I raised Peter on my own.” She’s not really sure why she’s telling Wanda all of this, usually she just says that she’s Peter’s aunt and leaves it at that.

Maybe it’s because Wanda is surprisingly easy to talk to, or maybe it’s because her relationship with Peter is confusing her and weighing on her more than she thought.

“That’s lovely.” Wanda says with a small smile. Then she tilts her head, “you are conflicted, I can feel it. Do you think raising Peter was a mistake?”

“No! Of course not! I have never regretted taking Peter in. I just,” May hesitated, “well, I just don’t know what we are to each other. I-I never wanted kids. Peter’s like a son to me, but at the same time he’s not. I don’t really understand it… that’s why my emotions are a bit conflicted. I’m not sure how to label our relationship.”

Wanda just chuckles. “The answer is simple. Do you love him unconditionally, no matter what happens?”

May doesn’t even have to think. “Yes.”

“Then, that’s all you need.” Wanda says, her eyes lighting up with an ethereal sort of ancient wisdom. “Unconditional love. It doesn’t matter if you see him as your son, or your nephew. Or even something in between. You love him unconditionally, that’s all there is to it.”

“But, but that unconditional love is like what a parent has for their child, so he’s like my son then?” May asks. She’s getting a little frustrated, she doesn’t think she understands what Wanda’s trying to say.

Wanda shakes her head. “No. Unconditional love is the kind of love in a family. It doesn’t matter if he is your son or your nephew, he is your family. When you love someone unconditionally, they become part of your family. That is the only label you need.” Wanda looks over at the Avengers again, a small smile quirking at her lips, “take it from someone whose family is a team of superheroes, labels like Aunt, Nephew, Mother and Son, they don’t matter. The only label that matters is the one of family.”

And May thinks she finally understands.

~~ Peter is the son of her best friend. Peter is her husband’s brother’s child. Peter was her husband’s nephew. Peter is her nephew. Peter is her child. ~~

Peter is her family.

(And that’s all there is to it.)


End file.
